Filling feeler



p 1 i H. LACHANCE 2,254,535

I FILLING FEELER Filed Sept. 251939 I INVENTOR HtcToR L AAAAA ca TTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STTES PATET OFFICE FILLmG FEELER Hector Lachance, Topshain, Maine Application September 25, 1939, Serial No. 296,352

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to filling feelers for looms and more particularly to feelers of the type wherein a movable feeler finger is actuated by engagement of the tip thereof with the filling of a bobbin in a shuttle.

With previously known feelers of this type, considerable difliculty has been experienced with breakage or marring of the yarn by the feeler tip, particularly where the filling employed is silk, rayon or other delicate yarn. It is an object of the invention to provide a feeler finger of improved construction by which this diificulty may in large measure be obviated and consequent losses in damaged goods greatly reduced. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a feeler finger suitable for use in the so-called side slipping feeler to reduce greatly the breakage and marking difiiculties heretofore encountered with such feelers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing more par-' ticular description and from the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a feeler embodying my invention with the cover removed from the housing showing a portion of a bobbin with filling engaging the feeler tip and, in dotted lines, the idle position of the feeler finger;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the feeler shown in Fig. l but illustrating the position of the feeler finger when the filling has become exhausted;

Fig. 3 is a partial section, partial elevation on in a shuttle box as the box is moved forwardly with the lay.

In the normal position of the feeler finger shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the end of the arm 26 is held against the boss I2 and the stem 28 is held against the boss l6 by the spring 24. When the tip 40 is engaged by the filling on the bobbin 32, the finger is forced axially of the stem 28 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the engagement of the filling with the tip 3!] preventing lateral movement of the finger. As the bobbin 32 is moved away fromthe tip 38,

the spring 24 returns the finger to normal position. As shown in Fig. 2, when the filling on the bobbin 32 is substantially exhausted, the tip 30 contacts the bare portion of the bobbin and slips thereon as the bobbin is pressed against it, movthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The filling feeler mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing is a side ing the stem 30 laterally toward the boss l8 to engage and shift a rod 34 projecting slightly inwardly of the plate [0 between the bosses I8 and 20, said rod being adapted, on shifting by the feeler finger, toinitiate operation of bobbin changing or loom stopping mechanism.

In feeler mechanism of this type heretofore in use, the feeler tip has been of rigid material, either formed as an integral part of the feeler finger, or fixedly attached thereto. such mechanism has functioned satisfactorily as a control for bobbin changing mechanism serious difficulty with yarn breakage has been encountered with it. While attempts have been made to solve the breakage problem by the use of a flexi- -ble material for the feeler tip, feelers so conslipping feeler of a well known type, an examplei being disclosed in Brown et al., Patent'No.

1,593,426, embodying the presentinve'ntion. It

has a housing composed of top and bottom plates,

of which only the bottom plate In isshown, se-

boss l4 and at the other end to the laterally extending arm 26 of the hook-like feelerblade or finger. The main shank or stem 28 of the feeler blade extends between the bosses l6 and I8 outwardly ofthe shuttle box end of the plate structed have not operated satisfactorily.

I have discovered that breakage or marring of the yarn by the feeler can be greatly reduced without impairing the operation of the feeler by the use of a feeler finger, such as that shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein the feeler tip is slidable on the end of the feeler finger,-

axially of the main stem of the finger, against the action of a spring.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the feeler tip '30 comprises a substantially U-shaped member, preferably of metal or other substantially rigid material, having a filler engaging head portion'36, preferably provided with filling engaging teeth 31, and a pair of narrowly spaced side arms 38 having substantially fiat opposed surfaces defining a slot and forming'together a mounting sleeve for the head portion 36. The outer end of the stem 28 of the feelerfinger is flattened as at 40, said flat- Although pendedzclaims. V

tened portion 40 being adapted to slide longitudinally in the slot between the arms 38 of the tip 30 and having formed therein a slot 42, extending axially of the stem 28. Tip 30 is slidably keyed on stem 28 by means of studs 44 passing transversely through arms 38 and slot 42 and slidable in the slot. A coil spring 46 surrounds the stem 28, abutting at one end the arms 38 of tip 30 and at the other end a suitable stop 48 formed on the stem .28.. The strength of spring 46 is such as to offer less resistance to' initial telescoping movement between tip 30 and" stem 28 than the resistance of spring 24 to initial forward sliding of the feeler finger.

In operation, as the head 36 is engaged by the filling on bobbin 32 moving forwardly with a blade and tip 30. are returnedto normal posi tion by their respective springs.

When, on substantial exhaustion of the filling, tip 30 engages the bare bobbin, it-will slide laterally to shift stem 26 into actuating engagement with rod as shown in Fig. 2. In such case there may be some slight telescoping movement between tip 30 and stem 28, depending uponwhether the resistance ofspring 46 to such movement is greater than the resistance of the bare bobbin to sliding of head 36. The fitbetween the arms 38 and the end portion 46 of stem 28 is preferably close .as shown, so that there is little or no lateral-play between the stem and the tip 30.

' With my mproved feeler finger l havfe found that the feeler mechanism satisfactorily performs its exhaustion indicating or bobbin change initiating functions, while at the same time withv a great reduction in breakage or marring of theyarn as compared with feeler, fingers heretofore inuse."

-It be obvious that various changes may be made in the illustrated'embodiment, :such as in form and arrangement of parts, or in the type of feeler mechanism in which'my'novel feeler finger construction is employeiwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention: 'It should; be understood, therefore, that I intend the invention to be. limited only as requiredby the-ap- Iclaim: j

1. In filling feeler'mechanism for looms which includes a filling feeler finger and means for mounting said finger uponaloom tozproject re'arwardly towardthe lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and. sidewise movements of said' finger, said means including resilient means bodily movement of said tip and detector means relative to the finger, and spring means operatively connected to the tip and the finger independently of said detector means to urge the tip rearwardly relative to the finger, the relation of the strength of said spring means to that of said resilient means being such that the filling advancing with the lay, engaging said detector means, moves the tip forwardly initially relative to the finger, said tip and detector means constituting the only parts of the feeler mechanism engageable with the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay to cause forward movement of said finger.

2. In filling feeler mechanism for looms which includes a feeler finger and means for mounting said finger upon a loom to project rearwardly toward the lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and sidewise movements of said finger, said means including resilient means yieldingly opposing said movements of the finger and returning, said finger to normal feeling position after departure therefrom, thecombination of a filling detector tip carried by the finger and projecting rearwardly therefrom, detector means on said tip for engaging and gripping the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay to maintain the finger against sidewise movement, meansslidably connecting said tip to the finger to permit limited forward and rearward bodily movement of said tip and detector means relative to the finger, and,

sufficient to overcome the resistance of said mounting means to forward bodily movement of the finger as the tip is pressed forwardly relative to the finger by the advancing filling less than the ful1 extent permitted by said connecting means and spring means.

3. In filling feeler mechanism for looms-which includes a feeler finger and means for mounting said finger upon a loom to' project rearwardly toward the lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and sidewise movements of said finger,

said means including resilient means yieldingly' opposing said movements of the finger and returning said finger to'normal feeling position after departure therefrom, the combination of.

a filling detector tip carried by the finger and 1 forward .and rearward bodily movementmf said:

projecting rearwardly therefrom, detector teeth fixed on the rearward end of said tip and adapted to engage and grip the fillingin a shuttle ad-r vancing with the lay to maintain the finger; against sidewise movement, means 'slidably' co'n'- necting said tip to the finger to permitilimited tip vrelative to the finger, and spring means operatively connected to the tip and the .finger to urge the'tip rearwardly relative to the finger,

yieldingly opposing said movements of the fin I ger and returning said finger to normal feeling position after departure therefrom, the combi nation of a fillingdetector tip carried ;by1the fin- 7O ger and projecting rearwardly therefrom; detector means on'said tip for engaging and gripping the filling in a shuttlexadvancing with the lay to maintain the finger against psidewisle. movement, means slidably connecting said tip to the finger to permit limited {forward and.v rearward said spring means having a strength suchas to: resist forward movementfof the tip relative to the finger with I a yieldable resistance which increases from'less to more than the resistance of said mounting means to forward bodily move- -ment, of the finger as the tip is pressed'forwardly relative to the finger by the forward impact of the advancing filling less than the full extent permitted by said connecting means.

.4.- In filling feeler mechanism for looms which. includes a feeler finger andmeans for mounting said finger upon a 100m to project rearwardly toward the lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and sidewise movements of said finger, said means including resilient means yieldingly opposing said movements of the finger and returning said finger to normal feeling position after departure therefrom, the combination of a filling detector tip carried by the finger and projecting rearwardly therefrom, detect-or means on said tip for engaging and gripping the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay to maintainthe finger against sidewise movement, means slidably connecting said tip to the finger to permit limited forward and rearward bodily movement of said tip and detector means relative to the finger, and spring means operatively connected to the tip and the finger independently of said detector means to urge the tip rearwardly relative to the finger, the relation of the strength of said spring means to that of said resilient means being such that the filling advancing with the lay, engaging said detector means, moves the tip forwardly alternately relative to the finger and. with the finger.

5. In filling feeler mechanism for looms which includes a feeler finger and means for mounting said finger upon a loom to project rearwardly toward the lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and sidewise movements of said finger, said means including resilient means yieldingly opposing said movements of the finger and returning said finger to normal feeling position after departure therefrom, the combination of a filling detector tip carried by the finger and projecting rearwardly therefrom, detector means on said tip for engaging and gripping the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay to maintain the finger against. sidewise swipe movement, means slidably connecting said tip to the finger to permit limited forward and rearward bodily movement of said tip and detector means relative to the finger by the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay, and spring means operatively connected to the tip and the finger independently of said detector means to urge the tip rearwardly relative to the finger, the relation of the strength of said spring means to that of said resilient means being such as to permit the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay, engaging the detector means, to press the tip forwardly independently of the finger only partially of the full extent permitted by 7 said connecting means.

6. In filling feeler mechanism for looms which includes a feeler finger and means for mounting said finger upon a. loom to project rearwardly toward the lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and sidewise movements of said finger, said means including resilient means yieldingly opposing said movements of the finger and returning said finger to normal feeling position after departure therefrom, the combination of a filling detector tip for the finger having at one end a sleeve for slidably receiving the rearward end of the flngerltherein and at the opposite end an integral toothed portion, means slidably connecting said sleeve to said finger for limited bodily movement of said tip forwardly and rearwardly relative to the finger with said toothed portion disposed rearwardly of the finger for engaging and gripping the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay to maintain the finger against sidewise movement thereby, and a spring operatively connected to the tip and the finger to urge the tip rearwardly relative to the finger, the relation of the strength of said spring to that of said resilient means being such as to permit the fillingin a shuttle advancing with the lay, engaging said toothed portion, to press the tip forwardly independently of the finger only partially of the full extent permitted by said connecting means.

7. In a filling feeler for looms which includes a feeler finger and means for mounting said finger upon a loom to project rearwardly toward the lay, permitting free floating bodily forward and sidewise movements of said finger, said means including resilient means yieldingly opposing said movements of the finger and returning said finger to normal feeling position after departure therefrom, the combination of a filling detector tip carried by the finger and projecting rearwardly thereof, means slidably connecting said tip to said finger to permit limited forward and rearward bodily movement of said tip relative to the finger, detector means on the rearward end of said tip for engaging and gripping the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay to maintain the finger against sidewise movement thereby, an abutment on said finger, and a coil spring bearing at opposite ends against said tip and said abutment to urge said tip rearwardly relative to the finger, and having its coils loosely, slidably surrounding the finger, the strength of said spring relative to that of said resilient means being such as to permit the filling in a shuttle advancing with the lay,,engaging said detector means, to slide said tip forwardly independently of the finger only partially of the full extent permitted by said connecting means.

' HECTOR LACHANCE. 

